


Loss & Comfort

by Smut_Fox



Series: Black Kat Chronicles [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Comfort, Established Thancred/WOL, F/M, First post to AO3 and Im bad at tagging, Loneliness, Pining, Talk of Open relationships, Touch-Starved, With intent of Future Alphinaud/WOL, will be a gettin together fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-08 12:39:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12254568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smut_Fox/pseuds/Smut_Fox
Summary: Former oneshot now mini series of my WOL and Alphinaud and kind of how they end up actually together----The closeness seemed to burn the loneliness that simmered under her skin. She wondered for a moment as the boy stiffened before relaxing and his head tilting to rest against her shoulder, if the boy’s loneliness faded with the contact as well.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I could never decide between shipping my WOL with Either Thancred or Alphinaud so i kind of just said fuck it and Did both. Pretty much the general idea is that during the events of 2.0 Katherine (my WOL) and Thancred end up caring for eachother a lot, but never do anything about it really untill after Omega and Lahabrea. They settle into an open relationship sort of situation.  
> This story is more or less just Katherine and Alphinaud, with talk about Katherine and Thancred.  
> Another thing to probably not is that Katherine is a Black mage- and is a pretty quiet person. She's not very talktive and sometimes struggles to explaine things.  
> i wont spoil tooo much, but if you have any questions please do feel free to ask!

It had intended to be a comforting gesture, the same that her own sister had done many a time in the past- a simple touch. Katherine wasn't know for being affectionate, at least outside of a select few. Alphinaud had never really been part of that small group until this point, and the broken look on his face made her hurt far more than the pain she was already in. So she had reached out. Her hand on his side, and she had been started to feel the warmth of bare skin under her fingers. The gaps in his clothing she realized then, feeling like an idiot for forgetting (especially since it seemed like that the gap on his side along with the one on his upper thigh caught her eye often). The shorter seemed to startle as well by her touch if the way he looked up at her was any indication. She inclined her head to the side just slightly, Her hand pressed more firmly- it was already there no point in taking it back now.  
He seemed nervous and the Miqo’te couldn't help but wonder if he was used to touches like this, his reaction lead her to believe that he likely wasn’t. Her tail curled, lashing lowly between her legs. She was more hesitant as her other hand came up to cup his cheek. He didn’t flinch, and instead after a few moments leaned into the touch. His breath stuttered and Katherine wasn't sure what to do- there was nothing that she could say that hadn’t already been said. And while Alphinaud had seemed to heed the words there was no doubt in her mind that he was still hurting.  
“Here I am feeling sorry for myself when you must be hurting as well” he said softly. Katherine shook her head, shrugging a tad. 

“They’ll come back to us” She craved Thancred’s affection and missed her Sister’s as well, but she had faith that they were alright. She didn’t love the others in the same manor but she knew that they would be alright as well. The redhead leaned down and pressed her forehead to his. She could feel the way he stiffened again. His eyes searched her own and he flushed a tad before letting his eyes close and accept the closeness. 

\---

Ishguard was cold. Cold enough that Katherine had retreated to wearing her Mage cloak. The fabric heavy enough to provide some kind of warmth. Her hat was drawn low over her face to brace against the harsh winds. It was nearly blissful to be inside the Fortemps manor- even more so when she was lead to her own room- the hearth burning and filling the room with warmth. Stripping out of the thick cloak and hanging it over the chair in the room Katherine moved to change into more comfortable clothing. The shirt she pulled out of her bag was large and though the fabric was thin she slipped it on anyways. The scent that had clung to the fabric had faded moons ago now, but the feline found herself unable to give the shirt up. A simple pair of cotton tights followed and the feline took a few steps and settled on the run that sat in front of the fire.  
Her legs folded against her chest she rested her chin on her knees, tail curled around her. As every night in the last few moons, the loneliness clung to her heart. Thancred supposedly dead- missing she forced herself to think- and her sister nowhere to be found, Katherine struggled to keep herself together. The only thing keeping her from completely fraying at the edges was Tataru and Alphinaud. Tataru’s warmth and her hope gave Katherine some shred of her own. As for Alphinaud, if she were to unravel she had little doubt that the boy would lose it as well. So, Ever by her title as warrior of light she did her best to keep it together when around others. Never had she been more glad to have been a naturally quiet person. Questions were often met with slight nods or couple word answers. 

The sudden sound of the door opening startled her enough that the fire infront of her blazed brighter with the sudden spike of her aether. Slit eyes glanced back at the door, her ears perked before the relaxed watching as Alphinaud slipped through the doorway. Their eyes met and the boy paused for a second before walking to where she was sitting, taking a moment to look down at her before settling on the ground next to her, his eyes looking at the fire now. Katherine wondered not for the first time if the elezen felt as lonely as she did. She pondered the thought for a moment longer before sighing. Alphinaud’s eyes moved from the fire to her, he hesitated for second before starting to speak.  
“M-may I ask you a question?”  
Katherine cocked her head to the side, ear twitching towards him before giving a small nod.  
“You and Thancred were… ah- together. Yes?” The miqo’te sat up a bit, blinking in surprise. She turned her face to him completely. He seemed to catch onto her inquisitive look.  
“Forgive me but the two of you were not exactly...subtle.” her slight nod seemed to be the answer he expected. He looked down, his brow furrowed slightly. A tiny chuckle left Katherine however.  
“You wonder how I could be with a man who partakes in women as Thancred does” His nod was tiny. She wondered exactly where the line of questioning had actually come from- and why so sudden. Mayhaps it was just that the boy wished for her company.  
She hummed, looking back at the fire and huffing out a tiny breath again before unfolding her legs and stretching them in front of her.

“Thancred holds a portion of my heart. And I apart of his” Words had never been said but with how he looked at her- and her sister’s direction she had realized exactly what it was.  
“We realize our duties often take us far from one another. We’ve come to the conclusion that neither of us mind that the other may care for or have sex with someone else” she heard a soft questioning noise, and he turned back to her. 

“And you are happy with that?” He spoke as though the idea made no sense. A tiny smile covered her face.  
“To have someone who feels the same about me as I do then, And have them understand My duty to Eorzea as the warrior of light. Who realizes that Love is never easy and the heart will do what it wishes” What more could she want. Confusion still lingered on Alphinaud’s face and Katherine shook her head slightly- amused. She shifted slightly, pausing as their shoulders brushed and with a tiny noise shifted a bit closer. The contact flashed warmth through her. She tilted her head slightly and rested her head against his. The closeness seemed to burn the loneliness that simmered under her skin. She wondered for a moment as the boy stiffened before relaxing and his head tilting to rest against her shoulder, if the boy’s loneliness faded with the contact as well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ones from Alphinaud's POV because I wanted to write it apparently.

Alphinaud wasn't too sure exactly how well he actually knew Katherine- sure, the Miqo'te was the warrior of light. But he knew there was more to her then just that title. However, for the little he did actually know about her- she wasn't one to anger easily. She tended to be a stoic presence until questioned and even then only a small confirming or denying nod. 

So when the woman had all but snarled at Estinien and stalked away from their group he was surprised. Sure, even he was getting tired of the nearly endless squabbling between the two older elezen but too see Katherine break character quite that much.   
A bit wary the boy followed her, undeterred by Ysale’s quiet protest. Following her wasn't hard, the mage had hardly strayed far from their camp- just far enough to be out of earshot and sight. He watched her for a few Moments, her eyes were close and her head tipped back to rest against the rock formation she was leaning on. She had changed gear not to long into their journey- and instead of the soft white yukata had changed into a long crimson leather coat, scrolling gold designs on it.(It had taken him longer to get used to the black top she wore under- with the cleavage and the pale skin of part of her stomach visible).

He hadn't realized how tired the woman looked. She was good at hiding the exhaustion, and as he had realized any amount of pain she was in. He thought for a moment about their first night in ishgard, the way he had seen the woman curled up in front of the fire. He had mostly known the answer to his initial question about her relationship with Thancred. That didn't make the katherine’s confirmation any less painful. Haurchefant had been the one to comment that their warrior of light had seemed lovesick, Tataru had used the word heartbroken. 

Alphinaud hadn't been sure what they were talking about until that first night and seeing the way she had acted.  
And once he had seen it he couldn't stop seeing it. 

The woman’s ears twitched as he stepped out in front of her. Slit eyes cracked open to peer at him. There was a question in the slight tilt of her head and he offered her a small smile.   
“I wished to see that you were alright. That was… quite the reaction”   
She shrugged slightly, her eyes slipping closed again. He had to hold back an irate noise.   
“Please, If there is something bothering you…” he trailed off, watching the Katherine’s reaction intently. The miqo'te huffed, shaking her head and opening her eyes to look up at him fully. 

“I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did, I'm sorry if I startled you” His heart clenched. He didn't understand why the woman was apologizing of all things. He hesitated for another second before he was sinking to his knees infront of her and putting a hand on her propped up knee. The feline was looked at him with surprise and he flustered slightly but didn't move his hand. 

“You really need not apologize” he found himself a little breathless at the way she was looking at him. Had he ever realized just how different colored her eyes were? The silver and icy blue a sharp contrast in this lighting. So distracted was he that when the woman struck he was caught completely off guard and let out a startled yelp. 

Her hands had shot out to grab the sides of his clothing and tug him close to her. His hand awkwardly being left to press her leg to the side and he was soon cradled against the Miqo'te. Her own face buried against his hair while his against her collarbone.   
He flushed hard, red along his cheeks and ears. The press of their bodies together was oddly nice however. Katherine’s arms had wrapped tight around his waist. 

“Forgive me” she whispered again, the words caught in his hair. The tone of her voice had the Elezen biting his lip for a moment before slipping his arms around her. Pressing his face against her neck and allowing Their bodies to lean against each other.   
“There is nothing to forgive” he offered again, slightly muffled against her skin this time.


End file.
